Few sports are as closely intertwined as horse racing and football. It is a common sight to see current and past stars from the Premier League at the track throughout a calendar year, with a huge number of current stars typically in attendance for the Cheltenham Festival.
However, even the most passionate fans of the sport that still play professionally aren’t given the time off to travel to major events, with the Kentucky Derby being staged toward the business end of the domestic season.
Many footballers have taken their passion for racing to the next level by getting involved in ownership, but which Liverpool stars have had success with their equines on track?
Michael Owen
There were few more exciting strikers in world football during the 1990s and early 2000s than Michael Owen. The forward enjoyed an eight-year stay at Anfield before leaving for Real Madrid.
Owen became the club’s youngest scorer in May 1997, and was a key star in the teams cup-treble winning campaign in 2000-01. Before leaving the club, the striker would rack up an impressive scoring record, netting 158 times in 297 appearances.
Away from the pitch, Owen has long-been a passionate horse racing fan, establishing Manor House Stables where he breeds and owns racehorses. The operation was founded in 2006, and it has produced multiple Graded-race winners. His most successful home-bred was Brown Panther, who won the King George V Stakes in 2011 and the Dubai Gold Cup in 2015.
Glen Johnson
It could be argued that Glen Johnson was one of the most underrated right-backs in Premier League history. After gaining top-flight experience during stays with West Ham and Portsmouth, the defender signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2009.
Johnson would enjoy an excellent six-season stay with the Reds, making over 200 appearances and forming an important part of the team that won the 2012 League Cup. The right-back was also recognised at international level, playing 54 times for England and being named in national team squads for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and the 2012 Euros.
Johnson has a storied history within racing, and is typically in attendance at the Cheltenham Festival alongside former teammates. He would also experience success as a part-owner for Robert Cowell-trained Encore D’Or, who was an eleven-time winner under rules.
Steve McManaman & Robbie Fowler
Liverpool greats Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler’s bond stretched further than the field, with the legendary duo also gaining huge success as part of the Macca and Growler Partnership on the race track. On the field, Fowler is regarded as a Liverpool legend, commonly referred to as ‘God’ by fans.
Between 1993 and 2001, the striker scored 183 goals, before he later returned to Anfield to a heroes welcome in January 2006. McManaman spent nine years at Anfield, winning the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year in 1996-97.
The combination has teamed up with a number of horses since retiring, but none were as talented as Martin Pipe-trained Seebald. The equine was a 15-time winner under rules, and was famously second behind the legendary Moscow Flyer in the G1 Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson & Jordan Henderson
Modern day Liverpool greats have also teamed up for success on the race track. Back in 2021, Jordan Henderson, Andrew Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold teamed up to form the Mr McCann Syndicate, named in honour of the club’s press officer.
On the field, the trio are immortalised in club history, playing important roles in the team’s long-awaited first Premier League title in 2019-20. All three players also formed an integral part of the Champions League-winning team in 2019.
However, Andrew Robertson remains the only member of the syndicate that remains at the club to this day, with the Scottish international having played out 20 times in 2025-26. On the track, Mr McCann was a winner on three starts for the footballers, including victories in two of his first three career appearances at Lingfield and Haydock, before being sold in April 2022.
Horses Named After Liverpool Greats
Iconic performances of the field have also touched millions across the world, leading the horses being named in honour of Liverpool greats. Anthony Brittain trained a horse called Klopp between 2018 and 2021, with the mare winning six of her 41 starts on track.
Current Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has also been honored, with Van Dijk also trained by Brittain to win four of his 46 starts on track, including victories at Ayr, Newcastle, and Southwell.
Legendary captain Steven Gerrard also had a horse named after him, with Gerrard winning five of his 32 attempts over fences during a progressive spell with trainer Althea Barclay.
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